Shop Talk: Edible Arrangements' Randy Winston

First we talked . Now it's onto another VDay staple: strawberries...chocolate-covered, of course. Their source: Tarrytown's Edible Arrangements. Their spokesperson: franchise owner Randy Winston.

So buy local and go say hello to....

Randy Winston of

1. What's the difference between Valentine's Day and any other day? 

RW: We sell four times the normal amount of fruit. We go from two drivers to eight to 10. Everything's quadrupled. It's tough because you have to deliver to businesses by a set time that day. The fruit is more expensive for us to buy, but unfortunately we can't raise our prices.

2. What's most popular for Valentine's Day?

RW: The chocolate-covered strawberries are very romantic [$25 for a dozen]. Balloons add a festive touch to it. They come in a Valentine's Day red container; we have teddy bears. A balloon, a bear, a box of chocolate-covered strawberries and you have a nice little package [$38.50, plus $12 delivery, or pick it up yourself and avoid the delivery charge]. There's also the 12-piece assortment of mixed fruit (bananas, strawberries, green apples) dipped in white and dark chocolate.

3. What's the deadline for ordering?

RW: We can take orders up to the day before. At that point we have to curtail it and assess where we're at. 

4. How is it leading up to VDay and on the day itself for you?

RW: Terrible! No, I didn't say that. I have to work into the night; I've been back there dipping strawberries. We go from one employee in back to 10. I have some recurring people I go to for help.

5. Roses come from South America, I learned. Where do the strawberries come from these days?

 RW: That's one thing that doesn't come from overseas. They always come from California. Melons are also from the U.S. Pineapples, the Philippines. Bananas, Honduras. We're expecting a delivery any minute now. But our fruit comes through the city; our guy picks it up at the fruit market in the city, like the meat market for fruit.